SITA, BCS unveil self-service solution

Soci'et'e Internationale de T'el'ecommunications A'eronautiques (SITA), with baggage handling system specialist BCS Group, has unveiled a self-service baggage solution, states Travel Daily News.

This solution is for common-use platforms that now provide air passengers with the ability to experience true end-to-end self-service with unassisted bag tagging and drop off. The SITA/BCS kiosk was unveiled at Check-in Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 24 to 26 November. Its first appearance follows a recent survey which found that continued growth of self-service now depends on the ability of passengers to tag their bags and drop them off without waiting in line.

SITA's Passenger Self-Service Survey, the most comprehensive global survey ever undertaken of passenger use of air transport self-service technology, found that almost half of the survey respondents who checked in at a desk, rather than online or through a kiosk, did so because of the need to check in a bag.

Taiwan's largest chain of convenience stores, 7-11, recently released point-of-sale (POS) self-service counters at eight branches in Taipei city and county in order to reduce transaction times to meet customers' demands for faster service, writes China Post.

With the newly introduced system, customers no longer need to stay in a long queue to pay for what they want to buy, as they can purchase these items via the easy-to-use POS system.

To make use of the system, one has to first push a button at the POS self-service counter, then put the barcode of the product near the barcode scanner and finally pay for the item with a 7-11 iCash card.

Australian communications company Salmat has unveiled an online automated service to help SMEs conduct low-cost, direct marketing campaigns to offline and online customers, says CRN.

The service uses a point-and-click interface on a Web site to turn a customer's logo and product description into a paper leaflet that Salmat then delivers to letterboxes in designated streets. An extra tick-box publishes the leaflet on Salmat's online shopping Web site, lasso.com.au.

Salmat CEO Grant Harrod claims the service could fulfil an order within 10 days. "With a few clicks, you can have a marketing campaign automatically appear in their customers' letterboxes," he says.